Waynesboro at a glance
- Population: about 4,534, 69th by size in Mississippi of 299 places (Census Vintage 2023 subcounty estimate).
- 2020 Census base: the 2020 count put the population at 4,567 (US Census Bureau).
- 2020 to 2023 change: about 0.7% below the 2020 Census base (US Census Bureau).
- Rank among Mississippi places: 69th out of 299 Census places (US Census Bureau).
- Size percentile: roughly 77% of places in Mississippi rank below it by population (US Census Bureau).
- Coordinates: 31.6776 latitude, -88.6338 longitude (US Census Bureau Gazetteer).
- Nearest larger cities: Laurel, MS (30 mi); Ellisville, MS (34 mi); Petal, MS (42 mi); Hattiesburg, MS (48 mi); Meridian, MS (49 mi) (Census populations, approximate straight-line distance).
- Nearest smaller towns: Shubuta, MS (13 mi); Millry, AL (18 mi); Silas, AL (19 mi) (US Census Bureau).
What a personal loan costs in Waynesboro
Personal loans are installment credit — one lump sum, repaid in equal monthly installments across a fixed term you agree to up front.
Two loans can share an interest rate and still differ in APR once fees are counted, so compare APR; our personal loan calculator shows the difference over the full term.
Because interest accrues for longer, a longer term means a lower installment and a higher total cost — decide which matters more to you.
A payment that strains the budget is a warning sign; a smaller loan or a little more saving time is the safer route.
Mississippi lending rules that apply in Waynesboro
Every figure in the table below is sourced to a publisher with a date; where a state does not publish a number, we say so rather than estimate.
| Rule | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| State lending regulator | Mississippi Department of Banking and Consumer Finance (DBCF) Source says: "The Mississippi Department of Banking and Consumer Finance's (DBCF) mission is to regulate, supervise and safeguard financial institutions chartered and licensed in Mississippi" | Mississippi Department of Banking and Consumer Finance as of 2026-09-16 |
| Delayed-deposit (payday) fee caps | $20 per $100 advanced on checks ≤$250; $21.95 per $100 on checks over $250 (DBCF rule) Source says: "Delayed deposit transaction: $20.00 per $100.00 advanced for checks $250.00 and under" | Mississippi Secretary of State (DBCF administrative regulations) as of 2026-09-16 |
| Maximum legal interest rate (usury cap) | See the latest published figure value_text left null: the maximum finance charge for licensed small-loan lenders is set by Miss. Code § 75-17-21, which § 75-67-119 references as the limit; no retrievable official page published the current figure for direct verification. | Mississippi Department of Banking and Consumer Finance as of 2026-09-16 |
| Payday lending status | Legal and licensed — check cashers (delayed-deposit/payday transactions) are licensed consumer-finance industries regulated by DBCF (Miss. Code § 75-67-501 et seq.) Source says: "These industries include Money Transmitter, Small Loan, Check Cashers, Pawnbroker, Title Pledge, Consumer Loan Broker" | Mississippi Department of Banking and Consumer Finance as of 2026-09-16 |
| Small-loan / installment lender licensing | Small loan license required (Small Loan Regulatory Law; Miss. Code § 75-67-105) Source says: "No person shall engage in the business of lending money ... without being the holder of a valid and subsisting license" | Mississippi Department of Banking and Consumer Finance as of 2026-09-16 |
How to compare offers in Waynesboro
Before you share your details with a lender in Waynesboro:
- Pull your free credit reports and dispute any error — it is the cheapest way to improve the rate you are offered.
- Run your figures through the personal loan calculator on this site so you know the payment before a lender quotes one.
- Pre-qualify with at least three lenders and compare the APR, not the interest rate.
- Check that the lender is licensed in Mississippi using the regulator named above.
- Read the disclosure for origination fees and any prepayment penalty before you sign.